Tae-Oshi Language
Taen, the language of Tae-Osh, is extremely vowel heavy and uses syllables as part of expressing tone leading to many non-natives to remark that the language reminds them a little of poetry. Native Taen speakers find this idea ridiculous as Taen poetry is very different to that of other nations. Syllables One of the biggest misconceptions about Taen is that the syllables and ‘beat’ of the language is purely to do with formality. This is rarely, if ever, the case. Much like tone, syllable usage has a lot to do with the context of words, tone itself is also a key part of the language. Attempting to explain every meaning is rather like trying to describe every connotation of various synonyms within Edranari. However, similarly to slang, it is not highly necessary to know the ins and outs of syllable use to get your meaning across. Things syllable use (usually amounts) can denote: * Occasional Formality (Beginning and ending sentences with three or four syllable words is seen as a mark of respect) * Sarcasm (Multisyllabic words are useful allowing you to over enunciate every second syllable more obviously. This crops up in sarcastic tone a lot) *Seriousness (Multi-syllabic compound words tend to be a shorthand for seriousness in many forms of fiction and media. Perhaps best demonstrated with the joke ‘I used the word antidisestablishment in a sentence of course I’m serious’ from the Edranari translation of the Tae-Oshi comedy play Vae’iv to the confusion of the Edranari theatre goers) *Happiness (Fewer syllables genuinely suggest extreme excitement) *Anger (Heavily reliant on tone, using single syllable words suggests deep seething rage while many multi syllable words suggest a cold disappointment or annoyance) *Flirtation (it is traditional to hide a 5-7-5 pattern into otherwise innocuous comments to make them suggestive. Most love poems take the form of haikus) *Insults (if you are subtly hiding an insult in your otherwise inocuous sentence, then you will hide a 2-4-3-4 syllable pattern into the words. If the other party doesn't pick up on it then you have the self-satisfied knowledge of their stupidity. This trick is often pulled agaisnt foreigners who don't know the language) Slang & Idioms The following are a list of words and phrases that are tied up in a good amount of cultural connotations so their meanings are often mired in translation errors. Naming Convention The naming conventions within Tae-Osh are fairly simplistic with each name boiling down into three distinct parts. Each part is usually only one or two syllables leading to names between three to six syllables in total. Having a name longer than this denotes either high birth or arrogance (similarly to how having multiple middle names suggests pretentiousness in Edranari). Names follow this structure: Forename ’ Name Name Forenames Similar to Forenames in Endranari, this is the distinct name for that individual. Most are derivatives of other words to grant extra flavour or meaning. This is rarely especially symbolic however and is often more a case of the parents finding the term pretty. Some common forenames and their meanings: Family Names These are the first of two names that is passed down from parent to child (typically the mother). It is traditionally seen as a way of denoting which branch of a particular clan or house you belong to allowing for greater ease of inheritance or sometimes name based enchantments. It is divided from the Forename with an apostrophe (called an aft in Taen) creating a first name distinguishable from the Lineage name. In formal scenarios it is typical to refer to someone by either their entire first name or just by their family name. In more casual ones referring to someone by their entire first name is seen as either serious or sarcastic. Unlike Forenames, family names rarely if ever have any particular meaning. Lineage Names Similar to a Dwarf’s clan name, a lineage name denotes not only the history of your bloodline but also the general prestige your ancestors have granted you. Though in modern times the importance of Lineage Names has fallen to the wayside (only usually cared about by the upper class and wealthy), it still holds cultural significance to many people. Traditionally, children would take the Lineage name of the wealthier/more important family so it could improve their chances of inheritance. Nowadays, which Lineage name is chosen is often a matter of personal choice with some families even combining their Lineage names to create a new one. This is highly discouraged as it makes governmental paperwork a nightmare. Localisation The term for how Tae-Oshi names are altered to fit the language of other countries used to be called ‘Asmorianisation’ regardless of which language it was being adapted to. This was mainly due to the prevalence of the culture and language in the known world. It was changed to ‘Localisation’ at the start of the Great Western War where the term was used on paperwork of Tae-Oshi immigrants signing up to join the Edranari army. The standard form of localisation is the simplest, the apostrophe is removed, fusing the fore and family names into a single word. The spelling and sounds are then altered to suit the dialect of the country the name is being adapted for. Some standard historical examples: There are also many examples of non-standard localisation. This could be for political reasons, personal reasons or even just aesthetic ones. Category:Tae-Osh Category:Languages